SAN FRANCISCO (February 25, 2019)--The global marine community has cause to celebrate a conservation milestone in the Philippines. The Municipality of Tingloy on Maricaban Island in Batangas Province recently designated 22.01 hectares (54.4 acres) of thriving coral reef habitat as a marine protected area (MPA), only the second MPA to be established in the municipality.

Located within the most biologically diverse waters on Earth, the new MPA protects against localized threats while bolstering an emerging ecotourism industry.